OPINION: Pirates’ Mabasa should have seen red – referees need to wake up

Tshegofatso Mabasa has had a brilliant 2024 with Orlando Pirates, surging into the lead in the race for the DStv Premiership Golden Boot.

The Buccaneers striker, however, should have two games less to add to his tally, following an absolutely shocking challenge on Lwandile Mabuya in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Richards Bay at Orlando Stadium.

Amazingly, referee Christophe Kistoor didn’t even book Mabasa for a tackle that could easily have left Mabuya seriously injured. It is the kind of challenge that a Video Assisted Referee would surely have taken a look at, and would have been negligent with if they didn’t go back to the on-field referee recommending a straight red card.

Another refereeing error, in a season riddled with them, should only increase calls for VAR to be implemented in the PSL, though the prohibitive cost makes this unlikely in the very near future.

Only last week, Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was lucky to escape with only a yellow card for a studs-up challenge on Golden Arrows’ Knox Mutizwa.

In March, Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Yusuf Maart got away without seeing red after an over-the-top tackle on Orlando Pirates’ Monnapule Saleng in the Soweto derby.

These are just a couple of examples of referees missing fouls that simply cannot be tolerated if a league is serious about protecting its players.

Some Chiefs fans were upset when Edmilson Dove was sent off last week against TS Galaxy, receiving a second yellow card for a poor tackle. Dove was perhaps unlucky with his first booking for a handball.

Still, he could easily have seen a straight red, so poor was the tackle for his second yellow. 

Not good enough

It seemed rich for Chiefs coach Cavin Johnson to raise questions about refereeing in the wake of that decision, and the decision to send off Given Msimango against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Msimango committed a clear professional foul on Lucas Ribeiro, and the referee was absolutely correct to send him off.

Coaches can be guilty of deflecting away from their own side’s problems, by blaming referees even when they get decisions right. But this also should not deflect from the issue of the standard of refereeing in the PSL. It is simply not good enough.